The club, coming off Sunday's last-second loss to Binghamton that capped a 0-3-0-0 weekend, is scheduled to return to work Wednesday in preparation for the most critical weekend of the season.

“I think it was Lou Holtz who said, 'The greatest thing that will determine your success and failure as a team is how you deal with adversity,'” Bears head coach Mark French said. “Everybody is a good guy and a good player when things go well and you win three in a row. You feel pretty good about yourselves, and that's when it's easy. So we'll see.

“These are character-building moments. They're not easy moments, but they're character-building moments. How quickly we can come back from that really probably determines the rest of our season.”

The Bears, precariously perched in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, are scheduled to host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Saturday and the Adirondack Phantoms Sunday.

Hershey's cumulative third-period scoring for 2012-13 went from even (44-44) to minus territory (44-51). The Bears have positive differentials for the first (50-43) and second (55-51) periods.

“Friday we were [down] 2-1 going into the third,” French said. “I thought we were being outplayed in that situation. How the score ended up, third period probably didn't have much relevance to it. The next night, I thought we played well, and obviously it had a bearing. Sunday, for sure.

“We had clawed our way, before last weekend, to basically being even in goals-for and goals-against in the third period, which was something that as a coach you keep an eye on. We took a step back last weekend with that.”

MANN RECOGNITION

In a TV bench interview during Sunday's New York Rangers-Washington Capitals game, in which Steven Oleksy scored his first NHL goal, Caps head coach Adam Oates lauded the preparation being provided by Bears assistant coach Troy Mann, who oversees the defensemen.

Troy Mann

“When Oatesy was down here [during the NHL lockout] and implemented his system and style of play that he wanted in Hershey, I think that you just kind of continue to push forward those areas that they wanted to see from their defensemen in Washington,” Mann said. “I think we've tweaked things here to some degree, Frenchy and I, but you keep harping on the little things that are really important up there, like stick on puck.”

Not only has the unheralded Oleksy provided an energizing physical presence for Washington's defense corps, he has also produced 1-3-4 in four games.

“Over the course of this season, I've said a number of times to people that he certainly has got a better skill set than people ever gave him credit for,” Mann said. “You could certainly see that in practice and in the games. I didn't think that his point totals would be as great up there so quickly, because it is an adjustment. But in terms of his work ethic and his physical play and his defensive awareness, he is a smart hockey player. He's got some high-end hockey sense.

“It's one of those things, too, where let's see how it progresses from game one to game 10. Sometimes complacency sets in with players, which I don't think will be the case with Oleksy. I've never seen complacency set in with him, even though complacency is something that I think is in every player.”

Mann said he also takes pride in the NHL promotions of Tomas Kundratek (1-6-7 in 23 games with Washington) and Cameron Schilling (recalled by the Caps Tuesday).

Schilling is expected to make his NHL debut Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Half of Washington's expected defense corps for the game – Kundratek, Oleksy and Schilling – was in Hershey when the NHL resumed play on Jan. 19 in the wake of the lockout.

“It's rewarding to see guys like that reach that level,” Mann said.

Mann was able to see Oleksy's goal against Rangers goalie Martin Biron on TV.

“I was pumped for the kid,” he said.

BLUE LINES

Bears goalies Dany Sabourin and Philipp Grubauer both have made 14 appearances since Braden Holtby rejoined the Caps. An even split in playing time may be poised to end as the regular season heads into the home stretch. “I think we'll take a look at performance this two-game weekend and we'll analyze it,” French said. “Certainly, it's time when you'd like somebody to step up and take the ball.”

The Philadelphia Flyers traded former Bears winger Matt Ford to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for future considerations. Ford, who produced 4-9-13 in 35 games with Adirondack, is slated to report to Springfield.